This invention pertains to the field of robotic devices, and in particular to mobile robotic devices which are configured to receive electrical power, e.g. alternating current (AC) electrical power, from an electrical receptacle or outlet via an electrical cord.
The use of mobile robotic devices (“mobile robots”) to perform a variety of domestic and industrial tasks continues to grow. Mobile robots have wheels, rollers, continuous tracks, mechanical legs (e.g., a biped, quadruped, hexapod, etc.) or other locomotion means which allow them to navigate within a workspace such as an apartment, a factory, a warehouse, etc. In general, a mobile robot may navigate autonomously (“autonomous mobile robot”), or under remote control, for example under human control via a joystick, mouse, trackball, keyboard, etc. Autonomous mobile robots have operational advantages due to the lack of need for human intervention, for example lower operating costs (e.g., labor costs), the ability to operate at places and times where remote control is not available, etc.
In many cases, mobile robots are battery powered, which limits the amount of work they are able to perform to the power storage and output capacities of the batteries. However, battery power may not provide sufficient electrical power for mobile robots to perform certain tasks, or to utilize machine and device components that would be powerful enough to perform such tasks. In addition, as larger and more sophisticated batteries are used to increase the power which can be stored and exerted by mobile robots, the size, weight, and expense of the mobile robots become too large for them to be practically deployed in many environments, such as residential homes or narrow commercial hallways.
So in many situations, it would be desirable to deploy a mobile robot which could operate on power which is provided from an electrical outlet or receptacle (e.g., AC Mains power), for example via an electrical power cord, without first being stored in a battery. This would allow a mobile robot to utilize the wide variety of available alternating current powered electrical motors and tools, which would otherwise be impossible, impractical or more expensive to operate with direct current (DC) powered electrical components, and/or AC/DC conversion via a power inverter. Such a mobile robot may also include a battery, which may be charged from the electrical power (e.g., AC Mains power) received via the electrical outlet or receptacle. In some cases, the mobile robot may have some reduced or limited operation on batter power, for example, the robot may be able to navigate over some distance on battery power alone.
As noted above, one class of mobile robots are autonomous mobile robots which self-navigate without remote or human control. However, if an autonomous mobile robot requires human intervention to connect it to an electrical outlet or receptacle, disconnect it from electrical outlet or receptacle, manage the length of the electrical power cord, etc., then the operational advantages of autonomous operation may be reduced or defeated.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an autonomous mobile robot which can autonomously locate, connect to, and disconnect from common 110V, 220V (and their international equivalent) household, commercial, and industrial electrical outlets and receptacles (i.e., connected to AC Mains). It would also be advantageous to provide an autonomous mobile robot which can autonomously manage a tethered connection to an electrical outlet or receptacle, including managing the length of an electrical power cord extending between the autonomous mobile robot and the electrical outlet or receptacle. Other and further objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.
The present invention comprises an apparatus and method for providing tethered electrical power to an autonomous power robot.
In one aspect of the invention, an apparatus comprises: a robot arm having a proximal end and a distal end, the robot arm being configured to move in response to one or more electrical signals; an electrical power cord extending through the robot arm from the proximal end to the distal end, the electrical power cord having an electrical plug at an end thereof; a motor-driven cable reel configured to dispense and retract the electrical power cord so as to control a length thereof; an end effector disposed at the distal end of the robot arm, wherein the end effector is configured to selectively grasp and release the electrical plug; and at least one sensor disposed at the distal end of the robot arm, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to produce sensor data for controlling the robot arm to dock the electrical plug into an electrical receptacle.
In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus comprises: an electrical receptacle configured to be mated to an electrical plug and to supply electrical power to the electrical plug; and a beacon array disposed adjacent to the electrical receptacle configured to transmit one or more signals indicating a location of the electrical receptacle.
In still another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for operating an apparatus comprising a robot having a cable reel for dispensing an electrical power cord having an electrical plug at an end thereof. The method comprises: while the electrical plug is connected to an electrical receptacle, controlling the apparatus to move about; and while the electrical plug is connected to an electrical receptacle and the apparatus moves about, controlling a length of the electrical power cord and a rate of dispensing the electrical power cord using a navigation plan stored as navigation data in a memory device of the apparatus, the navigation plan describing a navigation path and speed to be traveled by the robot during a specified time and/or event interval.
In a still further aspect of the invention, a method is provided for operating a mobile robot configured to dispense an electrical power cord having an electrical plug at an end thereof. The method comprises: while the electrical plug is connected to an electrical receptacle, controlling the mobile robot to move about; and while the electrical plug is connected to an electrical receptacle and the mobile robot moves about, controlling a length of the electrical power cord and a rate of dispensing the electrical power cord using a navigation plan stored as navigation instructions in one or more memory devices of the mobile robot, the navigation instructions being configured to cause one or more processors of the mobile robot to actuate one or more motors of the mobile robot which move the mobile robot with respect to some fixed point in relation to the electrical receptacle during a discrete computing event interval.